How to Use Carat Hunter
A complete walkthrough of every feature, from your first search to setting up price alerts and getting the best deal.
Getting Started
Carat Hunter is a diamond price comparison engine. We track millions of listings across 100+ online diamond retailers worldwide, matching the same certified stone across different stores so you can compare prices side by side. Think of it as a flight search engine, but for diamonds.
Many retailers list overlapping inventory. The same GIA or IGI certified diamond can appear at five, ten, or even twenty different stores at different prices. Carat Hunter uses certificate numbers to match these listings together, so instead of manually checking dozens of websites, you see all options in one place.
Creating an account
You can browse and search diamonds without logging in. To unlock full pricing details, save diamonds, set up price alerts, or use AI features, you will need an account. Click Sign In in the top-right corner, then choose to sign up with your email.
Free accounts can search, filter, and compare diamonds. A Carat Hunter Pass unlocks full retailer prices, Lucy AI, price tracking, and more. See the for details.
Region & Currency
Carat Hunter supports 15 regions worldwide including the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Japan, Germany, France, South Korea, India, Singapore, Hong Kong, UAE, New Zealand, Ireland, and Europe. Your region determines the default currency, language, and which retailers are shown first.
Changing your region
Click the currency selector in the header bar to change your region. Choosing a new currency updates the URL prefix (e.g. /us/, /uk/, /jp/, /de/) and sets your default currency to match. You can also change the display language using the globe icon.
Switching currency
You can also switch currency independently using the currency dropdown next to the region selector. All prices across the site will convert to your chosen currency. A smaller sub-price in the retailer's native currency is shown below for reference.
Prices are converted using exchange rates that are updated regularly, but may not reflect the very latest rate at any given moment. If you are viewing prices in a currency different from the retailer's native currency, expect small variations between what Carat Hunter displays and what the retailer shows on their listing page. The sub-price beneath each converted amount shows the price in the retailer's original currency for reference.
Searching for Diamonds
There are two ways to search: the on the home page and the full page with every filter available.
Quick search
The home page search bar lets you type specs naturally. Enter a shape, carat weight, colour, or clarity and hit enter to jump straight to filtered results.
Advanced search filters
The Advanced Search page gives you full control. Available filters include:
Origin
Natural or lab grown
Shape
Round, Princess, Oval, and more
Carat
Min and max carat weight
Colour
D (colourless) through Z
Clarity
FL through I3
Cut / Polish / Symmetry
Excellent through Poor
Price
Budget range in your currency
Caratlytics Score
Minimum overall score (0-100)
Lab
GIA, IGI, HRD, GCAL, and others
Status
Active, sold, or all
Sorting and browsing
Results can be sorted by price (low to high or high to low), carat weight, overall score, quality score, or most recently added. The list uses infinite scroll, so just keep scrolling for more results.
Use the Caratlytics Score filter to quickly surface the best-value diamonds. Setting a minimum score of 70+ filters out overpriced or poorly-specified listings. If you care most about gemological excellence (cut, colour, clarity, proportions), sort by Best Quality instead of Best Score. This ranks by pure diamond quality regardless of pricing.
Visual Search
Already have a diamond in mind and want to find it cheaper elsewhere? lets you look up a specific diamond by its specifications or certificate number.
Search by specs
Enter the diamond's shape, carat, colour, clarity, and cut. Carat Hunter will search across 100+ retailers for matching or near matching stones and show you results ranked by how closely they match.
Search by certificate or SKU
If you have a GIA or IGI certificate number, paste it into the search field. Carat Hunter will find which retailers list that exact stone, along with their prices. You can also search by a retailer's SKU code.
This is especially powerful when a jeweller quotes you a price in store. Grab the certificate number from the report, plug it in, and instantly see if you can get the same stone for less online.
Diamond Detail Page
Click on any diamond to open its detail page. This is where you see everything about a stone and which retailers sell it.
What you will see
Hero price
The best available price is shown prominently at the top. This is the lowest active listing across the retailers we track.
4Cs summary
Carat, colour, clarity, and cut at a glance, plus polish, symmetry, fluorescence, table, depth, and measurements.
Diamond diagram
A proportions diagram showing the diamond's measurements, table percentage, and depth percentage.
Retailer listings
Stores that sell this diamond, with prices, Caratlytics scores, and direct links to each retailer.
Retailer listings table
The listings table shows the retailers that have this diamond in stock. Each row includes the retailer name, price, and Caratlytics score. The best price is highlighted with a badge. On the free tier, retailer names and prices are blurred. Upgrade to a Carat Hunter Pass to unlock them.
Price history chart
Below the listings, a price history chart shows how the diamond's price has changed over time at each retailer. This helps you see whether the current price is a good deal or if it has been lower recently.
If a diamond is listed at many retailers, pay attention to the scores. The cheapest option is not always the best value when you factor in retailer reputation and data completeness.
Understanding Scores
Every diamond on Carat Hunter gets a from 0 to 100. This is our proprietary rating that combines four factors into a single number, making it easy to compare diamonds at a glance.
The four components
Quality (35%)
Cut, polish, symmetry, proportions, and fluorescence. How well the diamond is crafted.
Value (30%)
How the price compares to similar diamonds across retailers we track. Lower price relative to peers = higher value score.
Certification (20%)
Lab reputation (GIA, IGI, etc.), data completeness, and whether a certificate is available to verify.
Market (15%)
Cross retailer availability, price stability over time, and market data depth.
Letter grades
Scores are grouped into letter grades: (90-100), (80-89), (70-79), (60-69), (50-59), and (below 50). On search result cards and the detail page, you will see the score displayed as a coloured circle.
For a deep dive into how scoring works and what each component measures, visit the .
Quality First mode
The default Balanced sort weighs quality, value, certification, and market position equally. But some buyers have a fixed budget and simply want the most beautiful diamond their money can buy. They are not bargain hunting. They want the finest specs available.
Quality First mode sorts entirely by gemological excellence: cut grade, colour, clarity, proportions, polish, and symmetry. A D colour, Flawless, Ideal cut diamond will always rank above a G colour, VS2, Very Good cut diamond, regardless of price. Set your budget as a ceiling, switch to Best Quality sort, and the best stones rise to the top.
You can also ask Lucy: "Show me the best quality 2ct oval for $8,000". She will automatically sort by quality score and find the finest stone within your budget.
Shortlist & Compare
Found diamonds you like? Save them to your and compare them side by side. Your shortlist is visible on your dashboard and persists across sessions.
Shortlisting diamonds
Save favourites
Click the heart icon on any diamond card or detail page to add it to your shortlist. Remove it the same way.
Share your list
Share your shortlist with a partner, friend, or jeweller via a simple link. They can see specs and scores without needing an account.
Free PDF reports
Download a PDF report for any diamond, free for all users. It includes specs, score, and price range. Pass holders see full retailer details.
Comparing diamonds
- On any search result or diamond detail page, click the Compare button (scales icon).
- A compare bar appears at the bottom showing your selected diamonds.
- Add up to 4 diamonds, then click Compare to open the full view.
- See all specs side by side, with Caratlytics Score breakdowns for each.
- Lucy AI provides a written analysis highlighting trade-offs and recommending the best value.
Price Tracking & Hunts
Still researching? Set up a (price watch) to track a specific diamond or a category of diamonds over time.
Creating a hunt
- On any diamond detail page, click "Track Price" to watch that specific stone.
- Alternatively, set up a hunt from your dashboard with your desired specs: shape, carat range, colour, clarity, and maximum price.
- Carat Hunter monitors matching diamonds across the retailers we track.
- When a new match appears, a price drops, or a watched diamond sells out, you get notified.
Hunt features
Alerts
Get notified when a price drops below your target, a new matching diamond appears, or a watched stone sells out.
Pause & resume
Pause a hunt if you're not actively looking. Resume it anytime without losing your settings.
PDF reports
Generate a PDF summary of any hunt showing all matches, price history, and your top picks.
Full hunt functionality with email alerts is a Carat Hunter Pass feature. Free users can browse and search, but real-time price tracking and alert notifications require a Pass.
Ask Lucy
is Carat Hunter's AI assistant, built to answer diamond buying questions using real data from our database.
What Lucy can do
Natural language search
Ask "Find me a 1.5ct round lab diamond under $3000 with excellent cut" and Lucy will search the database for matches.
Diamond advice
Ask questions like 'Is VS2 clarity good enough?' or 'What's the difference between GIA and IGI?' and get informed answers.
Compare help
Paste two certificate numbers and ask Lucy to compare them. She will pull up both diamonds and explain the trade-offs.
Rate limits
Free accounts get a limited number of Lucy messages per day. Carat Hunter Pass subscribers get a higher allowance. Lucy's responses are grounded in real market data, not guesswork.
Partner Style Quiz
Buying a ring for someone else and not sure what they like? The lets you send your partner a quick 5-step questionnaire to learn their preferences, without giving away the surprise.
How it works
Send the quiz
Enter their name and email. We send a beautifully designed quiz with no mention of rings, diamonds, or budgets.
They answer
5 quick questions about favourite shapes, style vibes, metal preferences, and size comfort. Takes 2 minutes, no account needed.
Get recommendations
We translate their answers into expert guidance and pre-filled search links so you can find diamonds that match their taste.
The quiz covers shape preferences (up to 3), style vibe (classic, vintage, modern, etc.), metal preference, and size comfort level. Each answer comes with expert buying guidance tailored to their choices.
The Partner Style Quiz is available to Carat Hunter Pass holders. Visit the page to send your first quiz.
Plans & Pricing
Carat Hunter offers two tiers: a plan and the .
Free tier
Search and filter 11.8 million diamonds across 105+ retailers. View diamond specs, Caratlytics Scores (letter grade), and the best available price. Compare up to 4 diamonds side by side. Download free PDF reports (with retailer names redacted). Shortlist your favourites. Access all diamond education guides. Limited Lucy AI messages per day.
Carat Hunter Pass
Everything in Free, plus: all retailer names and exact prices on every listing, full 0-100 Caratlytics Score breakdowns, price tracking with email alerts (Hunts), unlimited Lucy AI with database access, full PDF reports with all retailer details, price history charts, and the Partner Style Quiz.
Passes start from $20 (30-day) or $35 (90-day). Visit the to see current plans. Billing is handled securely through Paddle.
Your Dashboard
Your is the home base for your account. It surfaces the most important information so you can pick up right where you left off.
What you will see
Potential savings
See how much you could save across your shortlisted diamonds by buying from the cheapest retailer.
Lucy's briefing
A personalised summary of price changes, new matches, and opportunities since your last visit.
Shortlist
Your saved diamonds with scores, retailer counts, and savings at a glance. Compare or share directly.
Recent activity
Price drops, hunt updates, and recently viewed diamonds, all in one place.
The dashboard also includes quick prompts for Lucy and an invite-a-friend section. Refer friends to earn extra days on your Pass.
My Diamonds: Track Your Purchases
Visit My Diamonds to log diamonds you've purchased and track their market value over time. Carat Hunter compares your stone's specs against live listings from 105+ retailers to give you an estimated valuation.
This is especially useful for insurance reviews (natural diamonds) and understanding market depreciation (lab-grown). Once you've purchased a Carat Hunter Pass, portfolio valuations are yours to keep forever, even after your pass expires.
How it works
- Click Add Diamond and enter your stone's specs. If you have a certificate number, use the lookup tool to auto-fill details from our database.
- Enter your purchase price, date, and optionally the retailer name and a nickname (e.g. 'My Engagement Ring').
- You'll get an instant valuation showing the estimated market value range, how it compares to your purchase price, and a confidence rating.
- Choose your update frequency (quarterly, every 6 months, or annually). We'll email you a consolidated valuation update for all your diamonds.
Free users see market position (above/below/at market) and trend direction. Pass holders (including lapsed passes) see full dollar valuations, insurance values, and price change percentages.
Pro Tips
Some practical advice from the team behind Carat Hunter to help you get the most out of the platform.
1. Always check cross retailer pricing
The average price spread between cheapest and most expensive listing is 34% for natural diamonds and 87% for lab grown. Always open the diamond detail page to see all retailer prices. The savings can be substantial.
2. Use the Caratlytics Score as a starting filter
Setting a minimum score of 70+ in Advanced Search quickly filters out overpriced stones and those with incomplete data. It is the fastest way to surface quality options within your budget.
3. Look just below round carat thresholds
A 0.98ct diamond looks virtually identical to a 1.00ct diamond in person, but can cost 10-15% less. The same applies at 1.5ct, 2.0ct, and other round number thresholds. Use the carat filter to search ranges like 0.95-0.99.
4. Set up a hunt instead of checking daily
Diamond inventory changes constantly. New stones are added and prices fluctuate. Instead of refreshing searches manually, create a hunt with your ideal specs and let Carat Hunter alert you when the right diamond appears.
5. Prioritise cut over colour and clarity
Cut quality has the biggest impact on how a diamond sparkles. You can drop from E to G colour or from VS1 to VS2 clarity without a visible difference to the naked eye, but never compromise on cut. Use Advanced Search to filter for Excellent or Ideal cut and sort by price.
6. Ask Lucy when you are unsure
Stuck between two diamonds? Not sure if a particular clarity grade matters for your shape? Ask Lucy. She has access to the full database and can give you specific, data-backed advice rather than generic guidelines.